Unexpected
by MrsTennant80
Summary: Set during S3. A difficult case has an unexpected effect on Hardy and Miller and the consequences will shape their lives forever.


CHAPTER 1

A knock at the door roused Alec Hardy from the papers he'd been absorbed in. He removed his glasses and stood wearily to answer the door.

He was surprised to see his former DS, Ellie Miller stood at the door, looking cold and downcast. 'Miller? What are you doing here?'

She looked abashed. 'I was just passing, saw your light on, thought I'd come and see where you were up to with the case.'

His detective's mind tested the legitimacy of this. 'From halfway up the hill? At 2.30 in the morning?'

She sighed. 'OK, I couldn't sleep, so I drove over here. Don't be a twat about it.'

He smirked. There was the feisty retorts he'd missed. He gestured towards the house 'Come in, I'll make a pot of tea.'

'Tea?' she wrinkled her nose. 'Sod that, got any wine?' Ellie demanded as she strode into the kitchen.

Alec frowned. 'Aren't you driving?' he folded his arms and looked at her.

Ellie looked shifty. 'Yeaaah about that. I didn't drive, I walked'.

Alec's eyebrows raised in surprise. 'You walked 2 miles? At 2 am? Alone in the dark with a sex offender on the loose?'

'This is why I said I drove.' Ellie huffed 'I AM a trained police officer.'

Alec knew when to admit defeat. 'Fine.' He reached into the cupboard for two glasses and uncorked a bottle of white. Ellie settled herself on the sofa and nodded her thanks as Alec passed her a glass.

Alec observed Ellie as she swirled her wine in her glass and stared morosely into it. 'You gonna drink that or try and tell your fortune from it?'

This earned a smirk from Ellie and she lifted her head and fixed her earnest gaze on him. 'Do you think we'll catch him?'

Alec leaned back. This case had gotten to both of them and the longer it went on, the worse it got. 'We will.' He vowed.

Ellie smiled at him and nodded. 'Yep. I believe you will.'

Alec looked at Ellie's face and saw the sheer trust and faith that she now placed in him, and remembered a similar question a few years ago. How different her response had been.

' _You didn't at Sandbrook.'_

Sandbrook. That case had haunted him. And Ellie had solved it. She'd been by his side, been so brilliant and he felt like he was only now realising just how incredible she was.

He gently took hold of the hand that was resting on her knee. Her eyebrows were quizzical 'Sir?'

'No, no. Not Sir. Not right now.' His voice was husky and he could feel the effects of the wine, but a pull of something stronger too. Her.

Gently, he tucked her hair behind her ear and cupped her face, all the while searching her eyes. She looked torn, surprised. So he paused but in the end it was Miller who leaned forwards until their lips met in a gentle kiss. It was full of love and reverence and as they pulled apart, they both smiled.

'Well, that was…unexpected' Ellie laughed 'and not why I came round'

'Wasn't it? ' Alec smirked and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

'Oh shut, Hardy' Ellie huffed 'You think you're so h-' she exclaimed and was cut off as Alec cupped her face with both hands and kissed her again. This time there was nothing gentle about the kiss and it soon became heated as hands went under shirts and mussed hair.

They broke apart breathessly. 'Bedroom' Ellie commanded, leaping from the sofa and dragging an dazed but complaint Alec by the hand.

Hours later, sated and satisfied they lay in bed as the first morning light began to colour the sky. Alec was holding Ellie and stroking her bare arm lazily as she lay pillowed on his chest.

She raised her head to look at him. 'What is this?' she suddenly said.

Alec frowned. 'Pardon?'

'What are we doing?' she clarified. 'I mean we just had sex. Great sex but now we just go back to being DI Hardy and DS Miller?'

'Miller –' he began

'Miller?' she scoffed. 'Still Miller?' she glared at him.

' _Ellie_ ' he appeased her by emphasising her name. 'I want…I hope this is the start of something special. You mean so much to me. More than even I think I know.'

'Soppy git' she smiled and laid back onto his chest and he pressed a gentle kiss to her curls. Suddenly Alec sat up, causing Ellie to startle. 'Oi!'

'Fuck!' Alec exclaimed

'What? What is it?' Ellie was alarmed.

'We forgot the condom' his voice was grave.

Ellie laughed 'Is that it? I'm clean'

'No.' Alec looked at her.

Ellie clicked. 'Oh! That, it's OK I can't get pregnant.'

Alec frowned 'You have two biological children'

'Yeah, with a 10 year age gap. We had to remortgage the house for IVF for Fred' she clarified. 'So relax.' She kissed him, before climbing out of bed and putting her clothes back on.

'Where are you going?'

'Home. I need a shower, and fresh clothes' she said.

Alec started to get up. 'I'll drive you.'

Ellie put a hand on his chest. 'Stay there, it's fine. I love this time of day, I'll take the cliff path, it's getting light now. I'll see you at work in-' she glanced at her watch 'two hours. Get some sleep.'

'OK.' Alec agreed. She leaned down and kissed him before leaving with a backwards glance and shy smile . Alec sank back against the pillows as a wide grin blossomed across his face.

Ellie smiled happily to herself as she walked along the path. She loved the solitude of this time of day. She was excited about where things with Alec would lead and replaying the previous night in her mind.

Fractionally too late, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as though she wasn't alone. She started to turn just as pain exploded in the back of her head and the world went black.


End file.
